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Why the ‘Friday the 13’ Franchise is at a Standstill

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Friday the 13

Horror seems to be everywhere.  Successes like IT, Get Out, Happy Death Day, Etc. have taught us that this underrated genre is not to be overlooked. Remakes especially are resurging. Take Halloween, The Grudge and even Suspiria for example. Classic horror icons are being reborn, but whatever happened to the beloved Jason Voorhees? Seems like the masked killer is in bit of a law-binding standstill.

In the 80’s, Jason was unstoppable. Spawning over 12 installments in 29 years, the hockey-masked killer went from the bottom of Crystal Lake to space and back. It would seem likely that we would finally get an answer to our long awaited Friday the 13 reboot.

The last time we visited Camp Crystal Lake was when Paramount decided to kill the series indefinitely. Speculation from a source close to both Platinum Dunes owner Michael Bay and the lawsuit between Friday the 13 series creators Sean S. Cunningham and Victor Miller spoke on the reasons behind the cancellation. As it turns out, some of those rumors were true.

According to Collider, Platinum Dunes Producer Brad Fuller and Andrew Form were busy promoting their film, A Quiet Place.

“We never got a clear answer from Paramount as to why that movie got shut down,” said Fuller while speaking to Rooster Teeth. “I think at the end of the day that administration, which is no longer there, didn’t see horror as a viable part of what they were doing. In addition, they were coming off Rings and that did not help. For studio heads that are not fans of horror there is not a tremendous amount of glory in it other than the financial. Many of these studios want to make big movies with big movie stars and that administration could never get excited about it. I think the rights now have reverted back to New Line.”

Now that the ball is in New Line’s Court, will a move be made soon? It seems unlikely until the lawsuit is settled. For those who are not familiar with the case, here is a quick summary:

Back in 2016 Victor Miller, the original screenwriter of Friday the 13, seeked to recoup his beloved creation as his own. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this is possible thanks to a provision in copyright law that allows authors to terminate a grant of rights and reclaim full ownership. There are loopholes and loose ends that have made this case tricky. Thus spawning this dragged out battle for the characters and storyline.

Fuller spoke to JoBlo about the odds against this favor, “Fans think it’s so simple, that if we want to make the movie we can go make it, and that’s just not the case. There are rights issues; originally, Warner Bros. owned the rights, then Paramount had them for a couple of years, and now I think the rights are reverting back to Warner Bros. At the same time, there is this on-going lawsuit with Victor Miller. If there is a lawsuit hanging over the rights, it’s problematic, you can’t really make the movie until that gets settled. And now the movie is at New Line, and we’ve made a lot of movies with those guys, but that’s not our home studio anymore.”

Nonetheless, Fuller and Form would still like to make a new Friday the 13 film. “If [New Line] want to make that movie with us, we will drop what we’re doing to make that movie.”

Seeing that we have not seen a new Friday the 13 film since 2009, it is looking more likely that this wish for a reboot will not be granted anytime soon.

Blumhouse did comment on their interest in adopting Jason into their wicked household. In an interview with CinePOP, Jason Blum was asked if there were any franchises he would love to reimagine. “Besides Halloween? You know, I really wanted to do Friday the 13. I would love to do that movie. Maybe someday we’ll get to do that one.”

With Blumhouse’s heavyweight champions under his powerhouse, it would be interesting to see what could be done with the series. For now, we wait in the quiet waters of hope until a disfigured beauty reaches out.

 

Would you be interested in seeing a new entry in the Friday the 13th franchise? Tell us in the comments! For more behind-the-scenes info on the series, check out this upcoming documentary on Jason Goes to Hell

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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